Music

Billy Bragg sets new album for October, releases first single

By Wade Sheridan   |   July 14, 2021 at 11:16 AM

July 14 (UPI) -- Billy Bragg has announced a new album for Oct. 8 titled The Million Things That Never Happened and released the project's first single "I Will Be Your Shield" on Wednesday.

Bragg uploaded a music video for "I Will Be Your Shield" to his official YouTube channel. The clip is taken from an upcoming concert experience that will be streamed in September and features Bragg playing the song onstage with his band.

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"I Will Be Your Shield" is also available to stream on Spotify, Apple Music, Amazon Music and Deezer.

"To me, 'I Will Be Your Shield' is the heart and soul of the album. I've come to the conclusion that empathy is the currency of music -- that our job as songwriters is to help people come to terms with their feelings by offering them examples of how others may have dealt with a situation similar to that in which the listener finds themselves," Bragg said in a statement about the song.

"After what we've all been through, the idea of being a shield -- physically, emotionally, psychologically -- resonates beyond the pandemic," he continued.

Bragg last released EP Bridges Not Walls in 2017.

Limited edition vinyl versions of The Million Things That Never Happened will be available from Bragg's official store.

The concert experience will be streamed through Stabal on Sept. 9. Fans who pre-order the album will receive discounted tickets for the concert experience.